Effective consortium working will be central to successful Diploma teaching and assessment.

Consortium refers to a group of schools, colleges, training providers and other organisations that work together  to deliver one or more Diploma lines of learning. Each consortium is approved through the Department for Children,  Schools and Families (DCSF) Gateway process. A centre refers to a school, college or other organisation such as a training provider, which as a partner in a consortium offers Diploma learning and work experience placements.

A consortium should draw on the skills and expertise of its group of centres to put in place arrangements and processes that can be shared across all the organisations contributing to the delivery of the principal learning and project components of Diplomas.